Before long, Xiao Ze returned to the Xiao Clan.
As soon as he arrived, Ling Ying reported the news to Xun Er.
"Miss, Young Master Xiao Ze has returned. He's in the Xiao Clan's main hall."
When she heard that Xiao Ze was back, a flicker of displeasure crossed Xun Er's eyes. "Did he bring a woman with him?"
"Yes, Miss. They say she's a physician from Green Mountain Town, and she's been without parents since childhood."
Ling Ying reported everything he had learned.
"Hmph! He's found a new love and forgotten his old one. I'd like to see just how pretty Xiao Yi Xian is to make you so impatient!"
As she spoke, jealousy rose in Xun Er's eyes. She turned and left the rear courtyard, heading straight for the main hall.
Meanwhile, in the Xiao Clan's main hall.
"Father, this is Xiao Yi Xian, your future daughter-in-law."
"Xiao Yi Xian, this is my father."
As soon as Xiao Ze returned home, he brought Xiao Yi Xian before his father.
"Uncle Xiao," Xiao Yi Xian said softly.
Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yi Xian and nodded in satisfaction.
"Mm. It's a blessing for the Xiao Clan that you've found such a wonderful girl. Ze'er, you must treat her well from now on. Don't break the poor girl's heart," Xiao Zhan instructed solemnly.
He had naturally learned about Xiao Yi Xian. Without parents since childhood, she had grown up relying on the kindness of others, and the first half of her life had been bitter indeed. Now that she had become his daughter-in-law, he would make it up to her and let her know what it felt like to have a home.
"Don't worry, Father. I'll do everything I can to protect Xiao Yi Xian. I'll never let her suffer the slightest grievance," Xiao Ze said with a nod.
Xiao Zhan had no doubts about his son's character. He nodded and told Xiao Ze to find her a place to stay.
The two had barely left the main hall and taken a few steps when they saw Xun Er strolling toward them.
Their eyes met. A smile graced Xun Er's face, but a hint of danger radiated from her, making Xiao Ze's heart clench. He immediately sensed trouble.
"Xun Er, what brings you here?" Xiao Ze asked with a strained smile.
In the Xiao Clan, the two of them had always been closest. Without Xun Er's attentive care, he didn't know how he would have made it through that dark period. Now he had suddenly brought home a girl, and for a moment, he didn't know how to explain himself.
Seeing Xiao Ze's predicament, Xiao Yi Xian sensibly stepped in to smooth things over. "You must be Sister Xun Er. Xiao Ze told me about you. He said you were the best girl he'd ever met."
"Is that so?" Xun Er fixed her gaze on Xiao Ze. She had been about to question him, but that compliment dispelled most of her anger.
"I heard you'd found a fiancée, so I came to have a look. This must be Xiao Yi Xian, right?"
Xun Er turned her gaze to Xiao Yi Xian. The two looked each other over, but surprisingly, Xiao Ze sensed no hostility from either of them.
Their harmonious interaction caught him off guard. He had expected a family squabble might break out, but it seemed he'd worried for nothing.
"Xun Er, we'll have plenty of chances to talk later. If there's nothing else, I'll take Xiao Yi Xian to get her settled."
Seeing that the two had gotten acquainted, Xiao Ze couldn't wait to take Xiao Yi Xian away.
As for leaving Xun Er out of the conversation, he could make it up to her later.
Xun Er nodded and watched them leave, but a trace of sadness welled up in her heart. It seemed someone had stolen her Xiao Ze-gege away.
"Xiao Yi Xian, you'll stay here from now on." Xiao Ze didn't pick out a new room for her. Instead, he brought her to his own.
Now that she was his wife, how could they not share a room?
Xiao Yi Xian looked as if she understood, though she wasn't quite sure.
The next moment, Xiao Ze wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, pressing her delicate body against his. "Xiao Yi Xian, I won't treat you badly."
After being Xiao Chunan for so long, today he was going to break this stalemate!
"Shouldn't you solve my Woe Poison Body first?" Xiao Yi Xian was initially a little resistant. After all, it was her first time.
But as Xiao Ze kept testing the waters, he eventually wore down her defenses.
"There's no rush about the poison body. Wait until tomorrow, and I'll give you a surprise." Xiao Ze wore a mischievous grin, then kissed her.
Tonight, he would become an utterly wicked man.
After a long while, they finally parted, but Xiao Ze still looked unsatisfied.
"Take a deep breath. It's normal to feel dizzy."
The next moment, they were tangled together once more.
This time, they would never part again.
The next day, the sun was already high in the sky when Xiao Ze woke first. Looking at Xiao Yi Xian sleeping in his arms, he couldn't help smiling.
In last night's fierce battle, he had thrown everything he had into it.
Neither of them had ever experienced anything like it before; they had been both shy and excited.
The rumpled sheets and the undergarments strewn carelessly about were the spoils of last night's battle.
Xiao Ze had tried every one of the countless positions he'd read about on Xiao Yi Xian.
Some things were better left unsaid.
What's more, Xiao Ze had taken the opportunity to give her the Poison Pill. Now they only had to wait for the medicine to take effect, and then her poison body would be under control.
When that happened, the Xiao Clan would gain another powerful fighter.
The puny Misty Cloud Sect could be wiped out with a wave of their hands.
Just then, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from within Xiao Yi Xian. Countless clouds of grayish-purple poison gas burst from her body.
"Xiao Ze, what's happening to me?"
The strange change in her body jolted Xiao Yi Xian awake. She thought her poison body was about to erupt ahead of time.
"Relax. Try to control your poison body. I'm right here."
Xiao Ze comforted her as he patiently guided her.
Xiao Yi Xian gritted her teeth. She knew this was the crucial moment when she would gain complete control of her Woe Poison Body, so she didn't dare let up for even an instant.
Then she dealt with it as she had during previous poison body outbreaks. The difference this time was that she no longer needed to ingest poison.
Gradually, the violent, rampant poison gas seemed to respond to something, and slowly grew gentler.
Only then did Xiao Ze let out a sigh of relief.
He knew how dangerous the Woe Poison Body was. Fortunately, the Poison Pill could control it, and disaster had been averted.
As the final wisp of poison gas was absorbed into her body, Xiao Yi Xian successfully mastered the Woe Poison Body.
Immediately afterward, a powerful surge of Dou Qi burst from her.
Three-Star Dou Emperor!
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yi Xian had gone from an ordinary person with no cultivation to a Three-Star Dou Emperor!
As for why she hadn't broken through straight to Dou Zun, Xiao Ze guessed it had to do with her constitution.
Her cultivation had advanced too quickly. Her body wasn't yet strong enough to support the power of a Dou Zun, so the excess poison could only be stored inside her in the form of the Poison Pill.
"Xiao Ze, I did it!"
Xiao Yi Xian's voice brimmed with barely contained joy and excitement.
She had reached the Dou Emperor level with her very first cultivation session. If word got out, wouldn't it shake the entire Dou Qi Continent?
"Xiao Yi Xian, I knew you could do it."
Xiao Ze was happy for her. With the strength of a Dou Emperor, no one in the Jia Ma Empire would ever be able to force her to do anything again.
The next moment, they embraced once more, but this time, Xiao Yi Xian was the one who reached for him first.
"Thank you..."
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